No TIME Out for Christmas!

It seems there is no time out in the nation's Cultural War. Not even Christmas is sacred. The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) is protesting Time magazine's publishing of statements against the virginity of Our Lady in the cover article of its December 13 edition.

The American TFP is strongly objecting to what it considers a most unwarranted attack on Mary and the Catholic faith. The Time article cites authors that call into question the circumstances of Our Lord's birth with declarations like:

"Critics may also have alleged that Jesus' birth early in Mary's marriage to Joseph was the result of her committing adultery; much later Jewish sources named a Roman soldier called Panthera. Those accusations, some scholars believe, account for the verse in Matthew in which Joseph considers divorcing Mary before his dream angel allays his doubts" (Time, 12-13-04).

Particularly offensive was how a magazine like Time would be so unfeeling for Catholic sentiment as to provide broad publicity to the dissident opinion of a feminist from the University of Detroit Mercy who suggests "violation as the cause of Mary's pregnancy" and that the Holy Spirit converted "a ritually taboo pregnancy into an occasion of glory and the birth of the Holy Child."

The TFP and its America Needs Fatima campaign is asking its members and supporters to speak out now. The peaceful and legal nationwide protest involves prayer, reparation and action. The American TFP hopes to reach one million people with this protest.

Campaign supporters are being asked to sign protest post cards telling Time how deeply offended they are with the statements against Mary's virginity in its December 13 cover article. The cards also ask Time to apologize and never publish such offensive statements again. Participants are encouraged to order more flyers to distribute in their communities and churches.

The American TFP web site is also participating in the action with an e-protest (go to www.tfp.org). Web site readers can send an email copy of the protest card and thus fulfill their duty to defend Mary's purity.

"Now is the time to prove our love for Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and for the beautiful mysteries of Christmas, the birth of Christ," says Robert Ritchie of the America Needs Fatima campaign. "We must always stand up for our faith!"

Send an instant protest email to Time magazine asking them to offer a public apology. Visit www.tfp.org

>
>
>I'm Offended That You're Offended - Merry Christmas Anyway!
>
>By Debbie Daniel
>
>December 13, 2004
>
>I'm on a "Merry Christmas" mission and I'm in full throttle. My
little
>yellow VW Beetle has turned into a Christmas billboard with Merry Christmas
>written across the back window. Yes, I've decided to trek off to work
>everyday on the public highways with a message that seems to offend people.
>
>At stop lights, I even turn my music up a little louder, and to top it off,
>I sing along with it. Don't I know that stopping at a red light to roll my
>windows down only to share the joy of Christmas carols on public streets is
>a No-No? Don't I fear the Christmas Gestapo and those who would have me
>remove the written message from my car?
>
>I'm sorry folks, but the only person I'm concerned about
"offending" during
>this Christmas season is the Lord himself. LEAVE THAT MANGER ALONE! We've
>allowed the Baby Jesus to be kicked out of His lowly manger, and those
>offended by Christmas are still not happy. I refuse to let this happen. I'm
>going to do my part to make sure "Merry Christmas" doesn't become
extinct.
>Because like it or not, if the believers in Christmas don't take a stand
>now, it's gone forever.
>
>Listen folks, the Christian community has been underestimated before; we
>will have to show ourselves again.
>
>I walked into a Wendy's Restaurant the other day and was rather exuberant
>with my "Merry Christmas" greeting to the manager. He didn't have
much of a
>response and I said, "Where's your Christmas spirit?" He said,
"We're not
>allowed to use the words "Merry Christmas" when greeting
customers. We can
>only say "Happy Holiday."
>
>This morning I grabbed a quick breakfast at a Whataburger restaurant. I
>noticed there wasn't a single decoration in the store. I asked the manager
>why they weren't decorated for Christmas. He told me the corporate
>headquarters decided not to send any decorations to any of their stores,
>and
>he didn't know why.
>
>After I heard about all the Macy's and Federated Stores taking down their
>Merry Christmas signs, the Target stores not allowing the Salvation Army to
>"Ring the Christmas Bells," and the many incidents of children,
choirs, and
>bands not allowed to play or sing Christmas carols, I realized it was
>happening right here in my own little Texas town. How can this be? Not
>Texas!
>
>We do, however, have a store, Hobby Lobby, that plays nothing but Christmas
>carols during the season. They're even closed on Sunday so their employees
>can worship and be with their families. On Christmas Day they run a
>full-page ad in our local newspaper. That ad is not to promote the store,
>but uses the entire page to tell the story of Jesus' birth. Now that's
>taking a stand! We need to thank them.
>
>When I saw a news report the other evening of children being taught new
>words to a song we've sung for years - "We Wish You a Merry
Christmas" - I
>was saddened to hear "We Wish You a Splendid Holiday."
>
>I know now that it's just a matter of time before the "Merry
Christmas"
>greeting will be gone. Look around your town. Notice the "Holiday"

>greetings
>and not "Christmas." It's happening right before our very eyes.
>
>Start singing the songs; go down the streets of America singing to your
>heart's content. Get some of those wash-off markers that these kids use to
>write on their car windows when they're rooting for their hometown football
>team. It's easy to do, and if a torrential rain washes it off, write it on
>there again.
>
>We've got to get this message out. "Go Tell It On the Mountain . .
that
>Jesus Christ is Born." Sing it, speak it, be a billboard for our Lord.
>
>The story of this "Baby Jesus" alone has brought about more
goodwill at
>this
>time of year than any other day we celebrate. How can we sit back and allow
>Him to be snuffed out of our lives?
>
>Is it Jesus, or is it His followers that the "offended" don't
like? What
>kind of revulsion galvanizes one to campaign so vehemently against the mere
>mention of His name, the mere singing of a carol, or the mere visual of a
>sign that says "Merry Christmas?"
>
>I can listen to my own boss at work use some of the vilest words and follow
>up with, "Excuse my French." I may cringe inside at his damning of
God's
>name, but I tolerate it. So if you don't like me wishing you a "Merry
>Christmas," I'll say, "Excuse my joy." You may cringe that I
celebrate the
>birth of Jesus, but just tolerate it.
>
>I cannot be concerned that "Merry Christmas" offends you. If I'm
not
>careful, the day will come when saying I'm a Christian will offend you.
>
>I'm offended that you're offended. How about that?
>
>When we get to a point that we can no longer take part in a tradition we
>hold dear, we have no choice; we either defend that tradition or we give it
>up to those who say NO. That's it . . . period. So, which will it be?
>
>I'm not giving up my "Merry Christmas" joy to anyone. If I know of
someone
>that celebrates another holiday during this time of year, I will be glad to
>wish them whatever holiday they want. Just tell me what it is, and I'll
>shout it to the world and wish you a grand celebration.
>
>Just give me Christmas. To you merchants: Stop being so hypocritical and
>"filling your tills" on the back of Jesus! Who do you think is the
symbol
>of
>giving at this time of year? It was the wise men bringing gifts to the
>newborn Christ-child.
>
>You want your coffers full, but have ordered your employees to take down
>all
>the Merry Christmas signs. If that's the case, I'll buy gifts at a place
>that understands my joy.
>
>If you're worried about offending someone, you just did. The most recent
>Newsweek survey shows that 82% of Americans believe that Jesus is the Son
>Of
>God. So, in trying not to offend a few, you have offended many.
>
>It's okay to jump into the "Merry Christmas" spirit when it fills
your cash
>register, but let's call it something else . . . and don't stop giving . .
>.
>and don't stop buying. . . we'll just change the name and you'll never know
>the difference.
>
>Well, I know the difference and I'm feeling it greatly. It's hard not to be
>aware that townships across our country have actually banned the singing of
>Christmas carols because it might offend someone. And it's not just the
>religious songs; it's the secular ones too. No more "Jingle Bells"
or
>"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" because they're associated with

>Christmas.
>Boy, aren't we getting sensitive?
>
>If we're not celebrating Christmas for the hope it gives with the birth of
>our Savior . . . there is no hope!
>
>I noticed a few years ago that we changed the name of Abraham Lincoln's and
>George Washington's birthday so as to be all inclusive regarding the
>Presidents. Hark, if we should recognize anyone as exceptional. Now it's
>called Presidents' Day.
>
>Well, if we're going to be so all inclusive, next month I'll have to refer
>to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as Civil Rights Leaders' Day. We don't
>want to exclude great Americans like Rosa Parks or Caesar Chavez, do we?
>And
>to think that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton might be left out.
>
>We might need to change Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Grandparents' Day
>to
>All Parents' Day. Just lump them all together.
>
>It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? So what's the difference?
>
>My freedom to celebrate Christmas in the tradition of the Christian
>religion
>is as much my right as it is your right to be offended by it. So what are
>we
>going to do? Did anyone hear me . . . what are we going to do?
>
>Do we defend a person's right to go forward with a time-tested tradition
>(how about 2000+ years?), or do we defend a person's right to end it all
>because they're offended? As long as we live in this great land and have
>the
>freedom to express ourselves and what we believe in, we will always offend
>someone.
>
>If we try to make everything right for everyone, we won't have anything for
>anyone.
>
>May you always have Christmas in your heart!
>

Stacey

Son of Panthera?
As for the slander itself, it is usually related to another myth that Jesus had a human father: a Roman soldier named Panthera. This is not possible; Panthera is not a Roman name, so no Roman soldier would have that name. The fabricators of this myth were so blinded by hate and malice that it didn't occur to them to give His alleged "father" an actual Roman name!

What does "Panthera" mean? Interestingly, it is a corruption of the Greek word parthenos, which means "virgin"! You see, a common form of mockery back then was to corrupt someone's name. Jesus' early followers used to call Him the Son of the Virgin (that is, "of the Parthenos"). His enemies in turn corrupted that title, calling Him "son of Panthera". They then made up the myth of "Panthera the Roman soldier", Jesus' alleged "father". There is no truth whatsoever to this allegation. Had Jesus been illegitimate, He could not have been an observant Jew (Deuteronomy 23:2). Since He was an observant Jew, He was certainly not illegitimate. And His Mother was a chaste, devout Jewish woman; Gospel accounts leave no doubt about that! The only "good" thing about this slander is that it is a sort-of "backhanded" proof that Jesus was virginally conceived. It implies that there was something unusual about His conception; some people were perhaps aware that St. Joseph was not His biological father! Rumors of His alleged illegitimacy may have circulated even during His earthly life*. Jesus' detractors later tried to use these rumors against His followers, embellishing them by fabricating the "Panthera" myth discussed above.

from http://home.nyc.rr.com/mysticalrose/object3.html

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